Closing containers



March 25, 1969 w. H. WYARD 3,434,265

CLOSINGGONTAINERS Filed May 4, 1966 Sheet of 4 lnvenlor WQ Z561" Hart 2'2 Wyani By March 25, 1969 w. H. WYARD 3,434,265

CLOSING CONTAINERS Filed May 4, 1966 Sheet .9 of 4 lnvenlor W'afierffarl/ik Wyard v By I A ttorney J Filed May 4, 1966 March 25,1969 w. H. WYARD 3,434,265

CLOS ING CONTAINERS Sheet of 4 L9 L9 /7a u ,3

' lnvenlor WaZZerfiQn ze Wyaml E. n WW 84%, M Attorney! March 25, 1969 w. H. WYARD CLOSING CONTAINERS Sheet Filed May 4, 1966 United States Patent US. CI. 53-77 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed apparatus for tailoring in the skirt of a metal closure cap applied to the screw-threaded neck of a container, threads which mate with the neck threads, the apparatus comprising a capping head arranged to press the crown of the cap against the mouth rim of the container neck, and a thread-rolling device having a thread-spinning roller arranged to tailor the threads in the skirt of the cap, said capping head including a sensing plunger mounted and disposed to enter the mouth of a container having no cap applied thereover or to be displaced by engagement with a cap applied on a container thus to sense the presence or absence of closure caps, and means movable with the plunger and cooperable with the thread-rolling device to be efi'ective whenever the plunger has entered a container mouth devoid of a cap to prevent the thread-rolling device from presenting said roller in thread-spinning position.

This invention relates to closing containers and in particular to apparatus for tailoring in the skirt of a closure cap made of thin metal and applied to the screwthreaded neck of a glass container, for example to the neck of a bottle, threads which mate with the threads formed on the container.

As is well understood, with the known forms of apparatus of the kind above-mentioned there is an ever-present problem of preventing damage to the neck of a container if no cap is applied to the container before it is presented to the apparatus. Such damage may occur in either of two ways, thus if the container with no cap is not truly centered under the capping head the downward pressure of the head may chip or damage the neck, or even if the container is properly centered the radial inward pressure of thread-spinning rollers may cause damage to the thread or the neck, particularly at the start and finish of the thread, or the neck may be sheared ofi.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide apparatus which overcomes these difiiculties.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for tailoring in the skirt of a closure cap made of thin metal and applied to the screw-threaded neck of a glass container, for example to the neck of a bottle, threads which mate with the threads formed on the container, comprising a capping head arranged to press the crown of the cap against the mouth rim of the container and a thread-rolling device including a thread-spinning roller arranged to tailor the threads in the skirt of the cap, said capping head being adapted on sensing a container having 3,434,265 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 no cap applied thereto to cooperate with the thread-rolling device to prevent engagement of said roller with the container.

In one embodiment of the invention the thread-spinning roller is supported by a spinning arm for free rotation about its axis and for movement lengthwise of its axis against the action of a spring, the spinning arm is secured to a spindle rockable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a side pressure arm is mounted on said spindle for angular movement relative thereto and carries a cam follower arranged to cooperate with a cam adapted to control pressure of the thread-spinning roller against the skirt of the cap, a roller pressure arm is secured to said spindle for rocking movement therewith and is arranged to cooperate with the side pressure arm to control the pressure of the thread-spinning roller against the skirt of the cap, and the capping head is arranged to interrupt cooperation between the roller and side pressure arms in the event that no cap is applied to the container. The roller pressure arm may be movable relative to a side pressure spring bolt carried by the side pressure arm and a spring surrounding the bolt be operable to urge the roller pressure arm into cooperating relation with the side pressure arm.

The capping head may comprise a sleeve including a cap-engaging member and arranged for axial movement into and out of engagement with the crown of a cap applied to the container, a sensing element located in said sleeve for axial movement relative thereto on engagement with the crown of the cap, and an interrupter element external of said sleeve and movable with the sensing element, said interrupter element being operable on movement of the sensing element into the mouth of the con tainer due to no cap being applied to the container to be interposed in the path of the spinning arm to prevent movement of the thread-spinning roller against the neck of the container. The interrupter element may be a circular element surrounding said sleeve and be connected with the sensing element by a pin passing through slots formed in and extending longitudinally of the sides of the sleeve. The sensing element may be a plunger having a frusto-conical end for entry into the mouth of a container.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a part of the apparatus according to the invention and illustrates the position of a thread-rolling device when a capped container is in position for operation on by said device,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but illustrates the position of the thread-rolling device when an uncapped container is in said position,

FIG. 3 is a top plan of the upper portion of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a capping head embodied in the apparatus,

FIG. 5 is a section on line V--V, FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a section illustrating the mode of operation of the apparatus when a cap is applied to a container, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 but illustrates the operation of the apparatus when no cap has been applied to a container.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a capping head, described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, arranged to press the crown of a cap, see FIG. 6, which may be made of aluminium or tinplate, against the mouth rim of a container, for example a glass bottle, FIGS. 6 and 7, the neck of which is provided with screwthreads. The capping head is connected with a vertically recip-rocable operating member, not shown, by which the capping head is moved axially into and out of engagement with the crown of the cap.

The apparatus also includes a thread-rolling device, which may, in known manner, be supported for reciprocation with the capping head, which embodies a threadspinning roller arranged to tailor in the skirt of the cap threads which mate with the threads formed on the neck of the container. The capping head, as will be described below, is adapted on sensing a container having no cap applied thereto to cooperate with the thread-rolling device to prevent engagement of the thread-spinning roller with the container.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the thread-spinning roller 1 is supported by a spinning arm 2 for free rotation about its axis and for movement lengthwise of its axis against the action of a spring 3. The spinning arm 2 is secured to a spindle 4 rockable about the longitudinal axis of the spindle, and a side pressure arm 5 is mounted on the spindle 4 for angular movement relative thereto. The side pressure arm 5 carries a cam follower roller 6 arranged to cooperate with a cam 7 arranged to control pressure of the thread-spinning roller 1 against the skirt of the cap. A roller pressure arm 8 is secured to the spindle 4 for rocking movement therewith and is arranged to cooperate with the side pressure arm 5 to control the pressure of the roller 1 against the skirt of the cap. To this end the roller pressure arm 8 is movable relative to a side pressure spring bolt 9 carried by the side pressure arm 5, a spring 10 surrounding the bolt 9 and being operable to urge the roller pressure arm 8 into cooperating relation with the side pressure arm 5.

The capping head, FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a sleeve 11 including a cap-engaging member 12 fitted with a compressible washer 13, FIG. 5, to engage the crown of a cap. The sleeve 11 is provided with screw-threads 14 by which it is connected to the above-mentioned vertically reciprocable operating member, not shown, for axial movement into and out of engagement with the crown of a cap applied to the container. A sensing element 15 is located in the sleeve 11 for axial movement relative to the sleeve when the sensing element engages the crown of a cap. The sensing element 15 is a plunger having a frusto-conical end 16 for entry into the mouth of a container which has no cap applied thereto. See FIG. 7. An interrupter element external of the sleeve 11 is movable with the sensing element 15 and is operable, on movement of the end 16 of the sensing element into the mouth of an uncapped container, as shown in FIG. 7, to be interposed in the path of the spinning arm 2 to prevent movement of the thread-spinning roller 1 against the neck of the container. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the interrupter element is a circular element 17, with a flange 17a, surrounding the sleeve 11 and is connected with the sensing element 15 by a pin 18 which passes through slots 19 formed in and extending lengthwise of the sleeve.

When the apparatus is in operation, if a capped container 20 is presented to the apparatus, see FIG. 6, the sensing element 15, on downward movement of the capping head, is arrested by the crown 21 of the cap 22 and the washer 13 and the member 12 moves axially downwards relative to element 15 to engage the crown 21 and apply the capping pressure thereto. Cam 7 then rocks roller 1 into engagement with the skirt of the cap 21 and, in known manner, tailors therein threads which mate with the threads provided on the neck of the container 20.

In the event that the container is uncapped, FIG. 7, on downward movement of the capping head the end 16 of element 15 enters the mouth of the container, and the flange 17a of the element 17 is interposed in the path of the spinning arm 2, as shown in FIG. 7. The sleeve [11 continues its downward movement until the washer 13 is engaged with the mouth rim of the container. Now, when the spinning arm 2 moves towards the container neck it is impeded by the flange 17a of the element 17, FIGS. 2 and 7, so that roller 1 does not engage the neck of the container. The arresting of the arm 2 causes relative movement between the side and roller pressure arms 5, 8 so that the tailoring load applied by cam 7 is absorbed by the spring 10.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for tailoring in the skirt of a closure cap made of thin metal and applied to the screw-threaded neck of a glass container, for example to the neck of a bottle, threads which mate with the threads formed on the container, comprising a capping head arranged to press the crown of the cap against the mouth rim of the container and a thread-rolling device including a threadspinning roller arranged to tailor the threads in the skirt of the cap, said capping head including a sensing plunger mounted and disposed to enter the mouth of a container having no cap applied thereover or to be displaced by engagement with a cap applied on a container thus to sense the presence or absence of closure caps, and means movable with the plunger and cooperable with the thread rolling device to be effective whenever the plunger has entered a container mouth devoid of a cap to prevent the thread-rolling device from presenting said roller in thread-spinning position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threadspinning roller is supported by a spinning arm for free rotation about its axis and for movement lengthwise of its axis against the action of a spring, the spinning arm is secured to a spindle rockable about the longitudinal axis thereof, a side pressure arm is mounted on said spindle for angular movement relative thereto and carries a cam follower arranged to cooperate with a cam adapted to control pressure of the thread-spinning roller against the skirt of the cap, a roller pressure arm is secured to said spindle for rocking movement therewith and is arranged to cooperate with the side pressure arm to control the pressure of the thread-spinning roller against the skirt of the cap, and said means movable with the plunger is arranged to interrupt cooperation between the roller and side pressure arms in the event that no cap is applied to the container.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the roller pressure arm is movable relative to a side pressure spring bolt carried by the side pressure arm and a spring surrounding the bolt is operable to urge the roller pressure arm into cooperating relation with the side pressure arm.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the capping head comprises a sleeve including a cap-engaging member and arranged for axial movement into and out of engagement with the crown of a cap applied to the container, the sensing plunger being located in said sleeve for axial movement relative thereto on engagement with the crown of the cap, and the means movable with the plunger is an interrupter element external of said sleeve and movable with the sensing plunger; said interrupter element being operable on movement of the sensing plunger into the mouth of the container due to no cap being applied to the container to be interposed in the path of the spinning arm to prevent movement of the thread-spinning roller against the neck of the container.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the interrupter element is a circular element surrounding said sleeve and is connected with the sensing plunger by a pin passing through slots formed in and extending longitudinally of the sides of the sleeve.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sensing plunger has a frustoconical end for entry into the mouth of a container.

for axial movement relative thereto on engagement with 5 the crown of the cap, and the means movable with the plunger is an interrupter element external of said sleeve and movable with the sensing plunger; said interrupter element being operable on movement of the sensing plunger into the mouth of the container due to no cap being applied to the container to be interposed in the path of the spinning arm to prevent movement of the threadspinning roller against the neck of the container.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sensing plunger has a fnistoconical end for entry into the mouth of a container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1926 Sharp 53-339 3/1945 Underwood 53-340 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

0 ROBERT L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 53-340 

